Sri Lanka's request for a return tour
of India,
issued after winning the previous September's Test series against them, made
the Indian season unusually long. The Indian Government wanted its Cricket
Board of Control to avoid arranging any matches in southern India, where demonstrations over
the Tamil separatist cause were feared. A one-dayer at Trivandrum
was thus cancelled and for the first time a Test Match was arranged at Cuttack.

For Sri Lanka, after a good start,
the tour went sour. Team conduct deteriorated such that during the second
Test at Nagpur
the umpires walked off the field in protest at the Sri Lankan fielders'
complaints and insults.

The spinners won the series
for India.
Their two-nil victory was satisfying after their defeat in Sri Lanka the year before. By
then the Sri Lankans' tour was in decline and they lost the last four ODIs.
Ravi Ratnayeke, who was made one of India's Cricketers of the Year,
was again an exception to generally low playing standards.

At the end of a tour of
disastrous results Wettimuny announced his retirement from first-class
cricket and manager Fuard requested two months' leave for health reasons. The
Board President said "Some
problems have to be resolved both at playing level and at management
level". Dr CDL Fernando took over as team manager in the meantime.